Falling For His Enemy: Halcyon Falls, #3

By Faye Morgan

Natasha Armstrong's terminally ill friend begs her to care for her two-year-old after she's gone… but the child's absentee father wants to make amends

Natasha is no stranger to Roman's misdeeds; after all, she was supposed to be maid-of-honor at his wedding to her friend. But with Brandi's illness, Natasha's sudden motherhood, the grief of losing her friend, and her whole life turning upside down, she's drowning.

But no matter how tough things are, Natasha isn't about to allow that blue-eyed heartbreaker to stop her from keeping her promise to Brandi.

Roman Mitchell knows it's too late to make amends to Brandi. He regrets leaving her at the altar, but he's certain it's not too late to be a dad to his little girl. Besides, his little girl is going to need her dad now more than ever. The only thing standing in his way is the beautiful woman who sets his heart ablaze. Can the pair avoid temptation? Will the trio wind up pulling closer in the midst of personal tragedy? Or will everything end in more heartbreak?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Faye Morgan
• Release date: Feb 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393373100

Book preview

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. All characters, places, businesses and incidents are from the author’s imagination or they are used fictitiously and are definitely fictionalized. Any trademarks or pictures herein are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks or pictures used are specifically in a descriptive capacity. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2021 by Faye Morgan

BOOK DESCRIPTION

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Tasha Armstrong’s terminally ill friend begs her to care for her two-year-old after she’s gone... but the child’s absentee father wants to make amends

Tasha is no stranger to Roman’s misdeeds; after all, she was supposed to be maid-of-honor at his wedding to her friend. But with Brandi’s illness, Tasha’s sudden motherhood, the grief of losing her friend, and her whole life turning upside down, she’s drowning.

But no matter how tough things are, Tasha isn't about to allow that blue-eyed heartbreaker to stop her from keeping her promise to Brandi.

Roman Mitchell knows it's too late to make amends to Brandi. He regrets leaving her at the altar, but he’s certain it’s not too late to be a dad to his little girl. Besides, his little girl is going to need her dad now more than ever. The only thing standing in his way is the beautiful woman who sets his heart ablaze. Can the pair avoid temptation? Will the trio wind up pulling closer in the midst of personal tragedy? Or will everything end in more heartbreak?

Chapter One

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You’re not getting anywhere near my child, no matter what you do. Tasha Armstrong vibrated from the tip of her toes to her straight mass of dark brown hair. She drew in a slow, steady breath, as she fought to maintain her composure.

Roman’s denim blue eyes were cold and hard. "Melissa is my child."

Yeah, right, as if that’s going to cut any ice with me! Where was he when Brandi, Tasha’s best friend and Mellie’s mother, breathed her last breath?

I’m her legal guardian. If you want to take it up in the family court, hire a lawyer, and fight me with the judicial process.

Would it be good for Melissa to be dragged into the midst of a court battle?

Tasha was immune to his good looks and deadly charm, and she’d make it her business to stay that way. If only Brandi had seen through him before she got intimately involved with him and conceived Mellie. But Tasha had better sense than to subject her daughter—and yes, Mellie was her daughter now—to his unwanted attention. Roman had no right over the child, whom he’d discarded along with his fiancée three months before the wedding, and Tasha should know because she was supposed to be the maid of honor at the media circus, which had turned into a media bonanza, when Roman’s desertion created headlines in gossip columns.

Go back to hell, she wanted to yell. Instead, she slammed a hand on her hip, effectively blocking him from entering her apartment. You can hire the best lawyer you can afford, but no court is going to revoke the guardianship. It’s legal, and it’s something that Brandi wanted.

Not that he would ever care what his ex-fiancé had wanted.

His lips lifted into a charming smile. I don’t want to revoke your rights over Melissa. I just want to spend some time with her.

Not in this lifetime

No, Roman. I want to make it real easy for you. You can’t see Mellie. Not now, not ever.

He sighed. You’re planning to make things difficult?

He could bet his last dime she was. Hadn’t she spent the last four months of Brandi’s life spending time with Mellie while Brandi was in and out of hospital? Hadn’t she given up her successful career as a media consultant to raise Mellie? Didn’t she spend the previous two months rocking the crying child who missed her mother and couldn’t understand why she wasn’t coming back? And now this man, this...this...monster, had the nerve to show up at her door and demand to see Mellie. He’d refused to have anything to do with the child even before she was born. Sure, he offered financial support, but Brandi didn’t accept it. After that, they never heard from him up until this moment.

Roman might be a jerk, but he was a handsome one. Tasha slanted her head so it didn’t look as if she was ogling him, but she didn’t miss the fact that his tailored shirt did little to hide the muscles that rippled underneath the soft cotton material. His dark, short hair was combed back. His lean face, wide forehead, and strong jaw had often been described as achingly beautiful in gossip columns. Not that she spent a lot of time reading that garbage.

He scratched his rubbed his jaw. This is in Melissa’s best interest. She needs to see her father, have a male influence in her life.

And didn’t you consider that when you left Brandi to gallivant in Europe?

He scowled at her. "I went to direct a movie which took ten months of my time. Later, I signed another movie and lived in Spain for a year and a half. I wasn’t in America. And you know quite well that I...wasn’t aware of Brandi’s illness."

As if that would have changed anything.

Would he have dropped his exotic, rich-boy lifestyle to take care of Mellie or Brandi? The fact that Roman was an award-winning film director didn’t quite impress Tasha. So it wasn’t a surprise she didn’t trust his motives for coming here. What good would it serve for Mellie to see her father one time? Tasha didn’t think Roman was interested in raising a child, and neither would she ever allow him to do that even if he wanted to do so.

This conversation isn’t going anywhere.

I don’t want to hear your excuses. Now, I’m saying it for the last time: GO AWAY AND DON’T COME BACK! She slammed the door in his face. Tasha leaned against the door and rested her head in her hands. Would he ring the bell again? Fortunately, she heard him walk away. Perhaps, he would realize the futility of this situation and never come back.

Gosh, Tasha, you know you wanted him to come back.

There had always been a part of her that enjoyed their verbal sparring even when Brandi was still alive. Tasha didn’t admit it then, but she was beginning to suspect, judging by the way she became breathless whenever he was near her and the way she often fantasized about him, that she just might be a tiny bit attracted to him, probably had been for a long time. Shit. She didn’t need any more issues like this stupid attraction to that...that...reprobate, to wear her down and make her lose focus on the one thing—no, the one person—who mattered most, Mellie.

The phone rang, jarring her out of her dark thoughts. Hi, Tasha? Hearing her friend Paige’s voice on the other end perked her up.

Where are you? Ethiopia? Paris? Brazil? Paige, an award-winning photojournalist, traveled to far-flung places all the time.

Syria. There’s a war going on here.

Tasha could hear loud noises in the background. Was it gunfire? Is it safe there?

War is never safe, Tasha. Paige’s tone was sardonic. Listen, I can’t talk for long. This phone connection isn’t going to last. Tell me, how’s Mellie? Brandi, Tasha, and Paige were close friends, and Paige had also been torn apart by Brandi’s death.

She’s fine. Guess who paid me a visit today?

The pope?

"No, silly, it was Roman, Mellie’s father. He wanted to